Warfare
by Almis31
Summary: One shot about Jasper before Alice came bounding into his life.


I don't own 'Twilight' or any of the characters, Stephenie Meyer does, I just like writing about them.

* * *

Their screams echoed into the night air as we descended in on them. Crashes followed as they knocked over obstacles in their attempts to flee. The sound of their shoes hitting the ground with the rhythm of their running faltered every so often as they tumbled into something else. Their sobs cried out, escaping through their screams as they pick themselves back up and the rhythm began again.

Tonight it was a game, nothing quick. They were more than something to satisfy our thirst, they were our toys, and occasionally I would feel a stab of pity towards them. That is, until the wind shifted and the scent of their blood reached my nose, calling me towards them as their hearts crashed against their chests.

Their beating organs were thrashing against their rib cages, pumping blood through their bodies at an erratic pace, filling my senses with the warmth. The thought of their blood trickling down my throat as I ended their lives flashed in my mind, my lips curved up over my teeth.

The bloodlust was taking over, pushing me forward, bringing me closer to their frail bodies, so easily broken, so easily shattered. A rumbling started deep in my chest and the growl escaped from my throat.

My companion smiled at me, enjoying the hunt, enjoying the game, giggles rang out past her lips. Her teeth glistened with the stars and I smiled back, taking on her excitement instead of the fear from our pray. We had been following those two women for a while now, leading them to where we wanted them to be, gliding along while they scrambled to free themselves from our view.

Those two would not join us in immortality, they were simply food and we played with our food.

Their screams continued as they were stopped by a wall, their final obstacle, a dead end - how fitting. As they turned to face us I saw streaks of tears fall down their faces. Fear was the only emotion showing through their eyes and the only emotion radiating off their bodies.

I tilted my head to the side; they were young woman, maybe twenty at the most. It's a shame their lives had to end at such a young age, surviving childhood only to be stopped as they become adults.

I coiled back, ready to pounce. A part of me wanted to end it quickly, the part that could feel the fear, the part that didn't want them to suffer more than need be.

The other part of me wanted to play, the part which could feel the excitement from my companion, the predator in me, the part which could smell the blood flowing through their veins. The part of me that reasoned that this was only natural for a monster like me to kill, to tear apart their fragile bodies and bring death upon them.

That part was winning.

An arm snaked up my back, distracting me for a moment, pulling my senses away from the girls. "Lets play Jasper, I'm bored of chasing," her voice sang out, followed by more screams from our prey.

"Ladies first," I gestured as she lowered into a crouch too, her body getting ready to pounce. Her smile grew. "Have fun, Maria," and she was off. Leaping through the air, landing on the female to the right as her friend stumbled back, screaming. Maria's laughter sounded over the girls screams as there was a crunch of bones, her legs shattered.

Pain filled the air around me.

Taking a deep breath and filling my lungs with useless air, I sprang next to the unharmed woman.

"Please," she whimpered a plea. "God, please."

"He isn't here," I said as her sobs continued. I crushed her arm with my grip, bringing her neck to my mouth. "I'm sorry," all emotion left her as I sunk my teeth into her skin, draining her of all life and the predator took over.

****

"Oh, Jasper?" Maria sang out into the night. I laughed, letting the sound bounce off the walls, she giggled as she sprang from the roof she was standing on, joining me on the ground. I whipped round, a smile growing on my lips - teasing.

She lunged, springing towards me. I stepped to my right as she flew past me. She stopped abruptly, laughter coming from deep within her. She lunged again, and again I stepped out of her way.

Everything was a game.

"Why do you make it so hard to catch you, Jasper?" She cooed, "You're so good at getting out of harms way."

"Years of practice, Maria," I smiled as once more I dodged her attack.

She giggled, as a new game started. "Let's race," she said as she took off running, running towards our army.

I followed.

Catching up to her was easy; I was faster than her. She growled as I gained the lead.

I was laughing the whole way 'home'. As we passed the streets lined with houses, I laughed. As we ran through the forest, I laughed. As we ran over the hills, I laughed. Forgetting about the life I had taken, forgetting about the pain I caused and forgetting about the fear I brought to the end of that girls existence.

I laughed, allowing Maria's feelings to become the forefront of my thoughts. She was giddy; we were winning against our enemies, their numbers were dwindling while ours only seemed to grow.

It didn't take us long to reach our destination, nothing took that long to us. The trees that should have blurred with our speed stayed detailed, every aspect of them I could make out. When we arrived 'home' we found that another fight had broken out between the ranks.

Two newborn's were attacking each other, throwing one another about the room, splintering wood and smashing brick in their way.

This was getting old.

"Enough!" Maria's voice called through the room. No one paid attention and the fighting continued. She looked at me, wordlessly telling me to play my part. So I did. I ran and slammed into one of the fighters, smashing him against the wall; it crumbled slightly at the impact, but stayed standing. I held him there by the throat and pushed his head against the brick surface. The pressure was making a mark in the wall behind him as more brick crumbled slightly.

"Maria. Said. Enough!" I hissed at him. He was a small man, so I easily towered over him. Even though he was stronger than me he understood that what I said had to be listened to, "I _will _destroy you if you do not stop fighting your fellow soldiers, so I think it is best you stop," my voice was lined with threat, "You're only months old, you are still useful."

I turned my head to find Maria still standing where I left her. A small smile spread across her features, her eyes twinkling in delight. I let my gaze fall on the other fighter, on doing so a growl erupted from deep within my chest, "I will destroy you too, without a second thought."

I freed the newborn from my grasp, he clutched onto his neck, rubbing at where my fingers held him in place, he snarled at me but cowered away from the vampire he was fighting and away from me. I hissed at him and the other newborn before turning and returning to my place beside Maria, she was smiling at me as I approached; she was proud, "Come, we have work to do," she said as she turned to leave the newborns. I set my gaze on the two soldiers, warning them to save the fighting for our enemies.

I followed Maria out of the large room, which was almost empty of objects. It mainly contained the army we had made. Many people's lives ended, only to be reborn again, to be made strong and virtually indestructible - the perfect army.

To battle.

To annihilate.

To ultimately conquer and stand victorious.

Maria turned to me once we were away from the newborns, "Are they ready?" She asked as she placed her hand on the side of my face.

I glanced back in the direction we came, "They are. Not an ounce of fear can be found in that room, each one is riled, itching for a good fight. I assume that's why they have been fighting amongst the ranks more than usual. Their aggression has been building and all we have to do is let them loose."

She smiled and gently stroked my cheek, "The mayhem they will cause," The twinkle returned to her eyes as her excitement bubbled at the surface of her emotions, "It's the largest our army has been; so many new ones."

"I've prepared them well, they are good fighters; they will quite easily win."

"Good. We can't have insignificant newborns running around. Tomorrow we fight. Tomorrow we win," her smile and excitement grew. "It's been too long since our last battle and the outcome was so joyous it got me all worked up for another victory."

"They won't know what's hit them, the land will be ours."

The last battle was almost four weeks ago and it felt like an eternity to us. War was our lives and having four weeks with out a single confrontation made us anxious. At least, for most of us it did. I was growing tired of it all, having to feel the emotions of the people I killed and the vampires I destroyed. In their last moments I felt their fear, their rage and their pain.

Maria's excitement kept me going, she lived for this. I once thought that it was what I was meant to do, be nothing but a soldier. It's only now that I think I might have been wrong in thinking that. I now think, on occasion, that I was maybe meant for something more, something better.

Conquering lands is what Maria does; it is all she will ever do. Revenge is what she is fuelled by and nothing can stop a person seeking revenge. I think that war brings her so much joy nothing can match it.

The night passed followed by the hours in which we were kept inside, the sun was shining bright in the sky and the humans were making the most of it. Those hours were spent plotting, making sure everything was going to happen the way we wanted it to. Nothing was left to chance when it came to Maria, everything was thought-out, and every angle was precise. She left little room for mistakes and little room for casualties, she would not tolerate losing, it just wasn't in her nature.

So we planned and kept on planning through the hours that the sun shone, until there was no more time for planning and it was time to destroy.

"They won't see us coming; we will rip them to shreds. I don't want anything to be left, not a single enemy soldier is to be standing by the end of the night. Destroy them, burn them until the sky is filled with smoke," my voice carried through the night. "Their land will be ours by dawn."

"You have your orders, now make me proud," Maria said.

With that the newborns turned and ran, we followed, pushing to the front, sprinting to the enemy. We dashed through the woods and across the fields, only stopping once we reached our destination.

Our approach had been heard and their haphazard attempt to form a battle plan was clear. There was no order to their alignment; they were sprawled across the field just outside their base. Our appearance had been a surprise, just like we wanted it to be.

Their numbers were pitiful compared to ours, I chucked and Maria's giggle sounded from beside me. Through our eyes our thoughts were clear: _This was going to be easy. _

A great roar erupted from both sides filling the air with rage and aggression. There was no stopping it now, this was a battle and we came to win. Our newborns sprinted into the clearing, weaving in and out, switching positions as they chose who to take down. When they smashed into the enemy a booming sound replaced the roars - deep and loud.

Maria and I stood back and watched as they danced around each other, dodging attacks and tearing at one another if they got hold of each other. Leaping back and forward. Growls echoed off the surrounding trees as limbs were torn form bodies.

A fire ignited somewhere in the clearing, smoke filled the sky as the severed limbs were tossed in to the flames. Maria glanced at me once, a smile stretched across her lips, before springing into action. Her laughter rang out as she collided with a newborn enemy. Swinging him round and throwing him to the ground, she positioned her foot on his chest adding pressure and ripping his arm from his torso. He howled in pain and she smashed her foot into his chest once more, ripping his remaining arm off and throwing both into the fire.

"Try to defeat me now!" She mocked, she was a skilled fighter; nothing could really stop her once she got going. She was the smallest juggernaut I had ever met. Her porcelain skin glowed slightly in the moon light, making her look like an angel, an angel sent straight from the pits of hell to wreak havoc.

She finished him off and moved on to her next target, taking her down quickly and skillfully. She was dismembering as many newborns as she possibly could, she didn't want our army to have all the fun.

A newborn came into my line of vision as he charged toward me. The corner of my mouth twitched up as I watched his attempt to grab a hold of me, I stepped lightly to the side and - just like the game between Maria and I - he lunged again.

With ease I grabbed his outstretched arm, dashing around to his back I grabbed the other, I pulled. I kicked my foot up and it landed on his back, I put force into my leg pushing him forward as I pulled his arms back, effectively removing both arms at once; I roared in delight.

A growl exploded from his chest, he whipped around snarling at me as I tossed his arms into the fire. His eyes went wide with wrath only to narrow just after. I laughed when he tried to smash into me, hoping he could still win the fight between us.

Fool.

I leaped around him, knocking him to the ground, ripping his head from his shoulders in the process. He was finished and his body burned, flames dancing around his torso, leaving only ash. I followed Maria's lead and destroyed as many newborns as I could.

I tossed the sixth into the burning pile of body parts when I stopped. I was crouched as I tilted my head around. The field was alight in orange flames; few remaining enemies stumbled around, still trying to hold some semblance of a victory. Their attempts were futile, of the remaining soldiers the numbers were four to one and the small groups had surrounded each enemy soldier. Cutting them off from each other. Descending in and disconnecting their body parts.

I scanned the clearing in an attempt to locate Maria; she was perched on a branch of a nearby tree, reveling in her clear victory. Her eyes were once again wide with joy, sparkling in the night. Distracted by her ecstasy I didn't hear or see the stray newborn enemy launch herself at me, she wrapped her arms around me and leaped onto my back. Noises of fury left my throat as she sunk her teeth into my shoulder blade. Maria's head snapped in my direction, joy leaving her features as anger replaced them. She charged towards me and the newborn and grasped onto the girls hair pulling her off me and throwing her to the ground. Soon she too was armless, Maria let her anger take over completely as she toyed with the newborn, she destroyed her slowly, taking enjoyment from obliterating her.

Once she was finished and the girls' remains were alight Maria turned to me and placed her hand on my wound. It burned slightly. She traced the outline with her fingers, gazing at it with thought.

"I got a new one too," she said as she lifted up her arm, there on her wrist was a new crescent shaped scar. My hand brushed up her arm and my thumb swiped across the teeth marks.

We let our gazed fall back to the soldiers; we had effectively wiped the enemy out. Our newborns were scattered around the various fires throwing remaining limbs into the flames. Once again we had gained land; we had annihilated countless newborns and lost few of our own.

The battle was quick and easy, just like I thought it would be and once again I was left with an empty feeling.

Maria was ecstatic, but I was not.


End file.
